Photo File : Peter Obi

Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to increase the cost of Nigerian international passports, describing it as an additional burden on already struggling citizens.

In a statement issued on X on Friday, Obi said the move reflects the government’s growing insensitivity to the harsh economic realities confronting Nigerians.

“The obsession of this administration with putting a burden on the populace is becoming legendary and continues to reveal its apparent disconnect with the people and the suffering,” he wrote.

The former Anambra State governor faulted the hike, noting that the newly announced rates far exceed the recently approved national minimum wage of ₦70,000. He argued that Nigeria may be the only country in the world where the cost of obtaining a passport is higher than a worker’s monthly salary.

According to him, “The International Passport fees in Nigeria have now skyrocketed to ₦100,000 for a 32-page booklet and ₦200,000 for 64 pages. This is the third increase in just two years. In a country where the new minimum wage is only ₦70,000, the cost of a single passport now exceeds a worker’s monthly salary, probably the only country in the world to achieve this feat.”

Obi stressed that rather than finding ways to ease the cost of living, the administration was consistently transferring the weight of governance failures to ordinary Nigerians.

“It is alarming that the price of the international passport is higher than what workers earn in a month,” he added.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had on Thursday announced that, beginning September 1, 2025, the cost of a 32-page passport with five-year validity will be ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport with 10-year validity will be ₦200,000. The new charges apply only to applications made within Nigeria, while fees for Nigerians abroad remain pegged at $150 and $230, respectively.

The latest increase has sparked outrage among citizens, with critics warning that it could further worsen inequality, limit mobility for low-income Nigerians, and discourage access to legitimate travel documents.